Why Chelsea hierarchy's surprise stance on Carabao Cup tie vs Arsenal offers concern
In this story:
Chelsea do not expect their next head coach to win the Premier League nor any major trophy this season, with a top-five finish in the league being the main objective, according to reports.
Calum McFarlane, Chelsea's under-21s head coach, has become the seventh figure in charge of the first team under BlueCo ownership, as he will lead the team for their visit to Manchester City on Sunday.
McFarlane is unlikely to stay at the helm for long, however, with Chelsea expected to appoint a new head coach to succeed Enzo Maresca, whose departure was announced on New Year's Day.
While the Chelsea hot seat always comes with immense pressure, journalist Kaveh Solhekol argued that at least in the short term, the club are not expecting anything extraordinary from their next appointment.
"Whoever comes in is not expected to win the Premier League," Solhekol said on Sky Sports.
"Nobody at Chelsea is expecting to challenge for the title this season. They need to finish in the top five to make sure they qualify for the Champions League again next season.
"When it comes to the two Champions League games in January, against Pafos and Napoli... OK if they win both games, that would mean they would avoid the play-off round.
"But even if they don't win those two games, it's still highly, highly likely that Chelsea are going to get into the knock-out stages.
Nine games in the first month of 2026! 🔵💪 pic.twitter.com/puHPNUIHhP
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 1, 2026
"The game against Arsenal, that's the first leg of the League Cup semi-final. That's not a priority trophy for Chelsea.
"Yes, if they win it, great, but if they get knocked out of that by Arsenal, it's not the end of the world."
Similarly, Solhekol also added that Chelsea do not put much importance on the FA Cup, despite being the favourites for the upcoming third-round tie against Charlton.
The club's reported relaxed stance on cup competitions would certainly help the next head coach to settle in with the team, but it would likely be unpopular among the supporters.
Especially how they view the upcoming London derby against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semifinals.
Obviously, prioritising the Champions League spots would likely be the most sensible approach financially, but the modest ambition would likely come at the expense of short-term success.
Gerry Crisandy is a freelance writer who has covered Chelsea for many years. His work has been published on The Chelsea Chronicle and Pride of London. He grew up idolising Michael Ballack and is a firm believer in expected goals.